December 1, 2014

SM Environment Committee head Liza Silerio, addressed the delegates of the 7th Business Management Students’ Convention held in De La Salle University in Manila, November 28, 2014.

"The future business leaders need to be ready for the risks associated with a changing climate, " according to Silerio.

In her speech, she stressed the importance of sustainable measures by future private sector leaders to safeguard local communities during calamities and cushion the impact of an increase in carbon emissions, population, and demand for basic needs.

she bared the details of SM’s sustainability framework, as an example of sustainable efforts, a five-level structure that aims to engage different stakeholders, from employees to multinationals.

“Each level reaches a wider array of people which holistically provides a foundation of the sustainability management system of the company,” she said.

Further, she explained how the SM Group manages to improve its sustainability programs by using a Plan-Do-Check-Act-Report cycle, which plans out and evaluates the events and initiatives of the company within the year.

“For 2013, our intensity power consumption decreased by 11% at 153 kilowatt hours per square meter per year. This is a 16% decrease since the benchmark year of 2010,” Silerio said, noting the positive impact of the cycle to the company’s energy consumption.

Apart from lowering the intensity consumption, SM also started using renewable solar power in China and the Philippines.

The Business Management Students’ Convention aimed to spur awareness and commitment to corporate sustainability, environmentalism, and social responsibility by introducing attendees to business approaches, strategies and programs that incorporate sustainability principles.